An Eagles Eye View From Around The NFC East

Jun 14, 2013 9:11 AM EST

Share

this page

Another week in the books, but for the media, it’s been another week of desperately trying to find a story in a foggy haze of monotony. Training camp has just begun, and even the all-important preseason is still weeks out. I can’t wait for those exciting four weeks of exhibition games that showcase fourth stringers battling for the last two roster spots!

For Eagles fans, this is a time to reflect on the past and ponder what is to come with a new leader in place. Andy Reid was a solid coach, but inevitably, it was time for the organization to go in a different direction. Since we really don’t know a whole lot about how Kelly plans to implement his game plans, the anticipation for his debut will grow with each week.

So, instead of focusing on what’s going on at Eagles camp at the moment, let’s take a look around the NFC East to size up the Eagles’ competition for this upcoming season.

Let’s start with Philly’s number one enemy, the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones, the affluent and always flamboyant owner of the team is at it once again. He’s stripped Jason Garrett of his offensive play-calling duties and handed them over to Bill Callahan. In a move that makes absolutely no sense, seeing that Callahan will be calling the offensive plays in an offense created by Garrett, Jones continues to create controversy through his impatience and inability to trust his coaching staff. Garrett is nothing more than a lame duck in Dallas at this point, and for Eagle fans, instability in Dallas is always a good thing.

Moving over to our capital, the Redskins are hoping that Robert Griffin III will be the same agile quarterback he was before completely shattering his knee. Griffin is a tremendously gifted athlete that led his team to the playoffs last season, but anyone with a pulse knows that his stability at the quarterback position will require less hits. This bodes really well for the Eagles because what makes Griffin so good is his ability to break out of the pocket and create. If Griffin is hesitant to run outside the pocket, he won’t be nearly as good as he was last year.

Finally, let’s check in on the New York Giants. Last season, the Eagles pulled off a close win at home in Week 4 to bring them to 3-1 on the season; they then proceeded to lose eight straight. In Week 17, the Eagles travelled to the Meadowlands and were embarrassed 42-7, but that’s all in the past.

The big news out of Giants camp right now is that Eli Manning’s top two targets are not so thrilled with their contract situations. Hakeem Nicks skipped OTAs and has reported to camp, but continues to voice his displeasure with his current deal. As for Victor Cruz, he’s still a no-show, and no deal appears to be imminent. Nicks and Cruz are viable threats to an Eagles secondary that has been completely refurbished. A long holdout by Cruz means less reps between him and Manning; for a new secondary in Philly, this is a good thing.

So that’s the latest around the NFC East. Eagles camp is underway, and Kelly’s NFL coaching career has begun. At this point, the Eagles are definitely a contender for the NFC East title. But it’s far too early to even predict how they’ll do this season.